ABSTRACT
In a world of educational inequality, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives aim to boost the participation and success of marginalized students and act as identity safety cues on campus. A recent torrent of anti-DEI legislative initiatives threatens this safety. Across three experimental studies, the current work examines the consequences of threat introduced via anti-DEI policies in higher education and potential university responses. In Study 1 (N = 639), participants anticipate compromised identity safety, worse performance, and report decreased interest in attending a university with an anti-DEI (vs. control, pro-DEI) policy. Study 2 (N = 229) replicates results and demonstrates that both fewer expected resources and weaker multiculturalism mediate the policy’s impact on outcomes; qualitative data corroborates findings. Study 3’s (N = 302) university messaging strategy shows public disapproval of anti-DEI policies reinstates some identity safety. Findings highlight psychological and institutional costs of anti-DEI laws, while advancing safety cue theory by illuminating impacts of cue removal.